Monday, February 23, 2009

NIMBY WINS, PATIENTS LOSE - AGAIN...

This time in Northeast, PA (suburb of the City of Brotherly Love), where "plans for a methadone clinic...were quickly abandoned after heavy protest from residents. "The only resident quoted explained," "I have small children, I want to protect my children, I want my children to be safe." A commonly expressed concern, but one that is difficult to reconcile with either logic or experience, since - we believe - there has not been a single report of harm to children associated with the operation of a methadone program anywhere in America over the course of more than four decades.

3 Comments:

Not a suburb of Philly -- first wrong "fact."Not just about children, although a parent's concerns (chosen from a host of issues raised that night)seem to be dismissed rather casually by someone who doesn't know the whole story (which could have been gleaned by continuing to read). Funny how all criticism is just DISMISSED. Apparently, never in decades has a neighbor been allowed to not want up to 350 people 15 ft from their bedrooms slamming card doors and talking at 6 am. Never have they been allowed to point out that all these people would be adding traffic to what is already one of the worst intersections in the country. Perhaps if the methadone dispensing industry cared a whit for the people paying the bills, there wouldn't need to be such an uprising to be heard. The clinic was beyond ignorant in picking this location. Clinic management disrespected the community -- as do many of the ignorant comments aimed at the community by those who know little about the actual situation. This is no way to gain supporters. Perhaps if the methadone dispensing industry stopped treating the rest of the world as mindless NIMBYs, there could be some middle ground. Silly NIMBYs, they just go to work, pay their taxes, and support all these clinics, their employees, and their clients. They deserve no sleep.

Many businesses operate round the clock--grocery stores, convenience stores, bars, fast food restaurants--yet you never hear about neighbors rising up to ban such places, for fear of hearing "car doors" open and close. We know the difference between a simple, legitimate gripe about noise, and the hatred of people with addiction problems, and irrational fears that they will rob, pillage and plunder, molest children, and create crime, lower home values, etc--none of which occurs with well run clinics. We are not soo foolish that we cannot see hate masquerading as "community concerns".

yes, you never hear about the zoning cases that in fact stop many such quality of life issues because the other side doesn't typically back the residents into a corner until it has to be a public spectacle.

Development plans are modified and cancelled every day and many are because they are incompatible with residences.

If clinics had a stellar reputation, it would be dang hard to muster the community to oppose them. But they don't all (not that some clinics aren't highly responsible) so the community reacts.

In this case, NET has a current location with police activity, loud noise, etc etc. Easy to oppose.